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29. Cocktail of the Week: In the Garden

“Are you goin’ to Scarborough Fair?
Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme.
Remember me to one who lives there,
she once was a true love of mine.”

Actors from way back in the day were not the only ones guilty of puffing away at their cigarettes relentlessly, rock and roll stars from the peak of America’s musical revolution were guilty as well! All rockstars came from the generation where smoking was seen as completely acceptable…along with LSD, Marijuana and anything else that would get you blasted.
The other day my iPod played one of the most famous Simon & Garfunkel songs ever, Scarborough Fair. A lot of rockstars from that era of music either died young (due to some kind of overdose) or have passed away recently. To those who are still alive, like Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel, their rock and roll lifestyles prevent them from still touring.
According to Rolling Stone magazine, Simon & Garfunkel had to push back the dates to their 2010 reunion tour because Garfunkel’s vocal chords were strained from all the years of smoking. Artie’s voice has still yet to recover and fans patiently await as the two lyrical and folk super powers reunite again.
In the meantime, while you wait for them to set out their new concert dates why not make yourself a drink? This next cocktail will be dedicated to Art & Paul, and it will be called Scarborough Fair.

How to make the “Scarborough Fair”you will need…
– Rosemary Simple Syrup
– Vodka of your choice
– 1 lime
– Club Soda/Seltzer Water
– or Champagne as an alternative
First you take 1.5 Oz of the vodka of your choice and pour it into a cocktail shaker. Then cut a lime in half and juice it and pour it into the mixer as well, leaving the pulp in the drink is up to you.
Then pour 1.5 Oz of the Rosemary syrup into the shaker. The syrup you see is home-made, you can buy rosemary syrup at the store but here at Casa del Gay (where I live) we prefer fresh ingredients; so my roommate made a fresh batch of Rosemary syrup and put it in this empty bottle of New Amsterdam that we had floating around. If you do not know how to make your own syrup and are interested in it, this website offers an simple recipe. The more Rosemary sprigs you put in it & the more you let it sit, the stronger the flavor.
After adding the first three ingredients, shake them in the cocktail mixer and serve them over ice in a collins glass. Then take about 1 Oz of seltzer water and pour it in the glass, add more water if you feel the drink is too strong. A sweeter alternative, which is one that I prefer, is to add champagne instead of seltzer water. The stronger your Rosemary syrup is then the more flavorful the drink will be when you add champagne.
After you have either added champagne or seltzer water, take the other half of your lime and cut a full slice out of it, then cut it down the middle. Place it on your glass and there you go! The perfect refreshing drink to have while listening to all your favorite classic folk-rock tunes.

The Scarborough Fair is a drink that can be enjoyed with a lovely Marlboro Sky e-cigarette; both things are light and refreshing, throw some Simon & Garfunkel on and your day will be set.